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Chickens are a lot more cost-effective than most pets. Whilst the start-up costs can pricey, the running costs are very reasonable, and a lot of chook owners have made some of their cash back by selling their pets’ delicious eggs to their neighbours and friends. As with many things, with chicken equipment, you get what you pay for. Therefore, it’s often best to invest in something of good quality which you can use for many years, rather than buying something cheap that is unlikely to prove itself robust.
Chickens are quite cost-effective pets
In terms of start-up costs, the first thing you will need to do is to purchase a coop. We have an excellent seletcion of modern, practical chook houses in our Chicken Coop section. All come free with chook-keeping essentials, such as chook feeders and water containers.
How much you pay for the chooks themselves depends on a great many factors – for example: where you get them, at what age, and which breed. Possibly the most important of these, and the one deserving of the most thought, is whether you adopt or buy your chickens. There are charities in Straya that take hens from battery conditions and give them good homes. You can adopt these animals for a small fee, and give them a loving home. Many are still good layers! If there is nowhere nearby where you can adopt for ex-battery chooks, then you may be able to adopt them from animal shelters.
If you would prefer to buy rather than adopt, then how much you will pay can vary a lot depending on the rarity of the breed in Australia, and the size of the birds. We do not recommend keeping birds singly – they are flock animals and need companions in order to be happy and healthy.
Once you’re all set up, there are a few running costs that you’ll need to cover regularly. Feed is the main one, and you can expect to pay around twenty five dollars for about twenty kilograms. Bedding also needs to be purchased on a regular basis, and if you choose to keep your pets on wood chippings rather than grass, then this will need to be raked out and replaced every few weeks too.
Healthcare is important, and some operations and treatments can be expensive. However, if you take good care of your animals, there’s a lower likelihood of your pets developing illnesses. The costs associated with healthcare are also likely to be intermittent. Some costs may be regular, however, depending on local regulations, it may be necessary to protect your chooks against some common diseases by getting them vaccinated. Check with your local authority to see if any vaccinations are recommended or mandatory.
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